Escape from Side 1
|image=Snapshot - 32.jpg |kanji=サイド1の脱出 |romaji=Saido Wan no Dasshutsu |episode=7 |series=Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam |japanese airdate=April 13, 1985 }} Synopsis The Alexandria is cruising past Earth. On board, Jamaican Daninghan is chewing out Jerid Messa for not performing better in battle, especially since he's supposed to be a Titan. When Jamaican points out that Lila's team is doing better than the Titans' own troops, Lila feels compelled to correct him by pointing out that the Argama exhibits an unusual power similar to that of the old White Base, and that it looks defenseless but becomes more dangerous when one gets closer. She says that this effect is even more pronounced with the Gundam Mk-II - that it looks defenseless and even "amateurish" until one engages it in battle, at which time it retaliates ferociously. Jamaican appears to be considering this until he is paged and told that the Argama is heading for "the old Side 4 region". Lila muses that the crew of the Argama might be newtypes, but is brushed off by Jamaican, who declares that newtypes are just the result of media hype. Over on the Argama, Kamille is surprised to find that Blex wants to make him a full-on AEUG pilot rather than chuck him into the brig for launching without permission. Although the Argama has a full complement of pilots after picking up those remaining from the Mont Blanc, Blex says that he wants to see how much further Kamille's emerging "special talents" can be developed. Kamille muses that he's become a newtype guinea pig, although Blex insists that's not the case. Kamille then insists that he's too young to be a soldier, but is told that during the One Year War there were many soldiers around his age and that even currently, there are few older soldiers. Finally, Kamille says that he'd like to think it over before making a commitment. Down on the MS repair deck, Kamille finds Quattro and consults him for advice. Quattro says he's of the same opinion as Blex - that he'd like to see Kamille's emerging abilities further developed. Kamille becomes frustrated and says that even if they want that, it still doesn't justify throwing a young person into the middle of a war. Quattro then appears to change the subject by mentioning that the concealment of newtype war hero Amuro Ray's whereabouts by the Earth Federation government is a display of their ignorance, and is also indicative of the fact that the souls of Earth's residents are held down by gravity and can't fly and be free like they should. Kamille asks what his becoming a pilot has to do with that, and becomes frustrated when Quattro repeats himself. Kamille decides to change the topic by asking if he'll get officers' benefits for formally joining the Argama's crew, and why Quattro himself became a soldier. Quattro replies that it's the only way he knows how to make a living, just before Torres alerts the crew that they've entered Side 4 airspace. Back on the Alexandria, Lila is in the middle of a shower when Jerid starts banging on the door demanding to know why she stood up for him in front of Jamaican. Lila lets him in, and Jerid continues to tell her that if he's going to lead the Titans one day he has to be able to deal with guys like Jamaican on his own terms. He then says that all he wanted Lila to do was to show him how to fight in space, not protect him from verbal abuse. Lila tells Jerid that she had no intention of protecting him at all - she was simply trying to tell Jamaican about the Argama. Jerid then demands to know more about "this newtype stuff" that Lila was referring to earlier, but she becomes rather self-conscious at his stare since she is in nothing but a bath towel. Up on the bridge, Jamaican is informed that Gryps has begun its move, and that the Argama is proceeding through the Side 4 debris cluster. He muses that this means that they could be heading toward Side 2 or the Moon. While Emma aids the Argama in navigating the debris, Jamaican holds a briefing in which he tells his crew that the Argama could be going to one of three places: Side 1, Side 2, or the Moon. Lila starts to propose that they split the fleet but is cut off by Jamaican, who feels that his superiority is being threatened and begins to act condescending. The two argue before Lila takes her men and leaves the briefing room to transfer back to the Bosnia. Down on the MS deck, Jerid catches up to Lila and asks why she pushed Jamaican's buttons. She replies that she did it to show Jerid why she dislikes men like Jamaican, while subtly implying that she would find Jerid quite attractive so long as he takes care not to become that kind of man. Jerid seems to realize this, and he asks Lila to go out for drinks with him the next time they meet. She accepts. The Argama finally enters the region known as Side 1. Henken buzzes Quattro and has him send Emma up to the bridge for a talk about what they want her to see and how it explains why they've taken up arms against the Earth Federation government. The ship enters Colony 30's airspace and docks in one of its ports, with Quattro taking Emma and Kamille further into the colony on foot. In the meantime, Lila, who is nearby, has begun tracking the Argama and is surprised to see it dock at Colony 30, wondering what reason the ship has to go to a colony so desolate and deserted. She decides that it must be because they're hiding something, while the captain of the Bosnia suggests that it would be a good location for a secret base. Lila declares that she's going to scout around so that she can have a report ready for when Jamaican and the Alexandria arrive. The captain tells her to return as soon as she figures out if there's a base there or not. Colony 30 is indeed a desolate, windswept place. Quattro, Emma, and Kamille are standing in the main street of what used to be a bustling town when Kamille notices a number of lumpy objects being carried by the wind in the distance. He asks what they are, and Quattro tells him that they are bodies - desiccated and mummified when the colony mirrors broke. Kamille cautiously approaches the remains of a woman seated on a nearby bench, only to become nauseated when her head falls into her lap. Disgusted, he asks how someone could massacre so many people, to which Quattro replies that it's easy to do if one doesn't actually see the victims or perform the task with their own hands. Meanwhile, Lila and her men have entered the colony and split up to begin searching for signs of an AEUG base. Lila finds a working car and begins to drive toward town while her men decide to check out the spaceport. Back in town, Quattro leads Emma and Kamille into a Western-style saloon as he recounts the sad tale of the citizens of Colony 30. Apparently, the colony dwellers were supporters of Contolism and decided to hold a rally to express their opinions. Although the rally was largely peaceful, it came too soon on the heels of the One Year War, frightening the Earth Federation government and causing Titans leader Bask Om to respond by gassing the colony's population to death with G3. Emma is shocked that someone would do something so horrible to peaceful demonstrators, but is still having trouble believing that it was in fact the man she used to work for. In the meantime, Kamille has wandered off and stopped in front of the remains of an elementary school, offering up a silent prayer for the dead children inside. Lila, who has now made it into town, happens to spot Kamille and decides to take him hostage. She ducks into a nearby doorway as Quattro and Emma call out to Kamille, looking for him. Lila recognizes Emma, and she overhears the conversation Emma has with Quattro about the government's motivations for the massacre. Interrupting, Lila steps out into the road with her hostage and declares Quattro a liar, accusing him of being taken in by propaganda spread by the remnants of Zabi Zeon and its supporters. The two exchange some more words before she flings Kamille away in disgust and runs off. Kamille attempts to chase her, but to no avail. Quattro, Kamille and Emma decide to return to the Argama. The Argama leaves Colony 30 as its members prepare for attack. Henken makes note of the fact that the Bosnia is the only ship in the area as Blex radios Quattro and tells him that he wants Kamille to lead their offensive. Quattro asks if it's some kind of test, but is told only that Blex wants to test the Mk-II's performance. Quattro tells Kamille to position hiimself in front of the Argama when he launches, and that he and the Rick Dias team will cover his flanks. Kamille launches into a skirmish and Lila finds him almost immediately. The two grapple, with Kamille trying to reason with Lila over the radio. She is impressed with his piloting skills and begins to wonder to herself if he's always been the pilot of the Mk-II. She decides that Kamille must be a newtype - there's no other way he could be that good, since he's just a kid and not even a trained pilot. Kamille takes out one of the Galbaldys on Lila's team, and she begins to get spooked. Frustrated and panicking, she declares that she's an experienced soldier and that there's no way she should lose to a mere teenage boy like Kamille. Suddenly, to her horror, Kamille disappears from sight. Meanwhile, the Alexandria has finally arrived at Colony 30. Up on the bridge, Jamaican watches Lila's skirmish on an overhead monitor. Jerid has also been watching, and begs Jamaican to send out reinforcements. However, Jamaican refuses, stating that they'll let the enemy use up its resources first, and that Jerid can use this opportunity to improve himself as an officer by learning to keep his emotions under control. Back out in space, Kamille waits in hiding for Lila to find him so that he can ambush her. He manages to hit her Galbaldy and then tackle her. She shoots at him with her Vulcans and then draws her beam saber, swinging at him and missing. Unfortunately, this gives Kamille enough of an opening to fire off a shot from his beam rifle directly at her cockpit. In her last few moments before death, Lila begs Jerid not to take Kamille lightly, for he's not a normal person. She also realizes that in viewing Kamille as different, she has already regarded him with hostility in her mind without even knowing it. On the Alexandria's bridge, Jerid witnesses Lila's Galbaldy explode and cries out in frustration and anguish. He thought he could hear her calling his name and tries to raise her on the radio, only to be reprimanded by Jamaican and told that the battle's over. With a tear-stained face, he asks her quietly what she was trying to tell him before she died. Over on the Argama, Kamille is being congratulated by the crew for basically making his first kill and becoming a true pilot. There is no doubt now, in the minds of Henken, Quattro, and Blex, that Kamille is a genuine newtype - Blex even comments that he's like a second Amuro Ray. Kamille, however, is still not sure he wants to formally join the AEUG and adopt the life of a soldier, stating that his life is his alone and that he'll decide what to do with it on his own. Emma can sense an inner turmoil within Kamille and a shift in his mind, and wonders what it might mean as the Argama cruises toward the Moon. Important Events * Deceased: Lila Milla Rira Staff *'Script:' Miho Maruo & Minoru Onoya *'Unit Director:' Hiroyuki Yokoyama *'Animation Director' Toshimitsu Kobayashi